edVirtus Reference

What Is a Revolution in Military Affairs?

Revolution in Military Affairs: When Technology, Doctrine, and Organization Transform Warfare

A revolution in military affairs is a major change in the conduct or character of warfare produced by a combination of technology, operational concepts, organization, training, and strategic circumstances. A new device alone is not revolutionary unless forces learn to employ it in ways that alter military effectiveness or competition.

Historical candidates include gunpowder fortifications and artillery, industrial mobilization, railways and telegraphy, armoured warfare, air power, nuclear weapons, precision strike, and information networks. Debate continues because change may be gradual, uneven, and visible only after institutions and adversaries adapt.

During the late twentieth century, precision weapons, sensors, computing, communications, and networking encouraged claims that an information-based revolution could provide unprecedented awareness, speed, and coordinated effects. These claims influenced force transformation and network-centric warfare.

The concept is useful when it directs attention to interactions among technology, doctrine, organization, and opponents. It becomes misleading when revolution is assumed in advance, when novelty is confused with effectiveness, or when an adversary's countermeasures and the enduring political and human character of war are neglected.